Chris Reardon Leaving PCOC

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Chris Reardon, who has led Pest Control Operators of California (PCOC) as executive vice president the last six years, will be leaving the association later this month. Reardon accepted the position of director of government relations for the California Farm Bureau.

Reardon led PCOC during a period when the pest control industry in California faced a number of regulatory challenges, including the introduction of AB 1788, a law restricting the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in California.

Reardon came to PCOC from the California Department of Agriculture, which gave him an important perspective on the work pest management professionals do and how they use pest control products.

Working with what Reardon called “a strong executive committee,” PCOC has been able to raise its profile the last six years. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed California Assembly Bill 2146, which would have prohibited the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for nearly all nonagricultural uses. As part of Newsom’s memo to assemblymembers, he noted that “the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) already has taken significant steps to restrict neonicotinoid uses, based on scientific review and documented uses that pose the greatest risks to pollinators and human health.” 

Reardon said he was encouraged by the governor's action because this was PCOC’s messaging throughout the AB 2147 legislative process. “So for me, the message for PCOC moving forward is that this industry needs to continue to be actively engaged because none of this stuff is going away.” he said.

Reardon leaves PCOC with an even greater appreciation for the pest control industry. "You have a lot of folks in this industry who pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and built really wonderful companies. And I've said this before to our regulators and legislators, 'You cannot image a living in a world without pest control.' People don't realize how important pest control is to the health and safety of our communities."

The PCOC executive committee is working on a plan to find Reardon’s replacement.